Food Web Challenge - FLBS · • Slide #18: Use the provided tundra food web to review what a food web is. • Slides #19-20: Explain what an ecological disturbance is and how Mysis

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

BeAISAwareUnit Food Web Challenge

Doyoueverwonderhownon-nativeaquaticinvasivespeciescanimpactanaquaticfoodweb?

¿ GradeLevelMiddleSchool

¿ SubjectAreasLifeScience,EnvironmentalScience,Ecology,andHumanImpacts

¿ KeyTopicsEcosystems,foodchains/webs,producers,consumers,andaquaticinvasivespecies

¿ Duration

PreparationTime:30minActivityTime:60min

¿ SettingClassroom(Groupsof3-4)

¿ SkillsOrganizing;Interpreting;Applying

OverviewStudentscompletealakefoodwebchallenge,learnhowallorganismsin the lake ecosystem are interconnected, and explain how aquaticinvasivespeciescanimpactthefoodweb.

ObjectivesStudentswillbeableto:• buildalakefoodweb.• explainhowaquaticinvasivespeciesimpactthelakefoodweb.• demonstratehowanecologicaldisturbancecanoccurinanecosystem.

MaterialsWarmUp• Computer,projector• Studentworksheets#1-2(double-sided)

Activity• Laminatedorprintedfoodwebcards(1fullset/group;includedinAISteachingtrunk)

• Scissorsorpapercutter• Colorpencilsormarkers(1set/group)• Glue/gluestick(1/group)• 2’x3’Posterpaper(1/group)

WrapUp• 4”x6”linedindexcardor8½”x11”wide-ruledpaper(1/group)• Alternatively,studentsmaycreateavideousingaChromebook/tablet

AdvancedPreparation• Laminatedcardsareincludedwiththeteachingmaterials.Ifyouprefertogluethecardsdown,printandpre-cutthefoodwebcardsfromthetemplate.

• Arrangeclassroomsothatthestudentscanworkingroupsof3-4.• Gathercoloredpencils,markers,glue,andposterpaper.• Priortoclass,pre-loadtheFoodWebChallengepresentationfoundontheassociatedthumbdriveoronourwebsite:https://flbs.umt.edu/newflbs/k12teachingmaterial

² StandardsNGSS&MTScienceStd.:MS-LS2-3:Developamodeltodescribethecyclingofmatterandflowofenergyamonglivingandnonlivingpartsofanecosystem.COREIDEA(S):LS2.B:CycleofMatterandEnergytransferinEcosystemsCROSSCUTTINGCONCEPT(S):EnergyandMatterCauseandEffectSCIENCE&ENGINEERINGPRACTICE(S):DevelopandUseModels

FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

BackgroundAnecosystemisacommunityoforganismsthatallshareaparticularhabitatandinteractwitheachotherastheyworktosurvive.Theseorganismsareoftenorganizedintodifferenttrophiclevelsbaseduponhowtheyacquiretheirfoodenergy.Producersareorganismsthatcancreatetheirownfoodfrominorganic(non-living)chemicalsintheenvironment.Phytoplanktonaremicroscopicalgaefoundinlakes,rivers,streams,wetlands,andoceans.Planktonisderivedfromplanktos,whichmeans“towanderordrift.”Therefore,phytoplanktonareproducersoftenfounddriftingwherethereisabundantlightforphotosynthesis.Phytoplanktonusesunlighttoconvertwaterandcarbondioxideintosugarandoxygenthroughphotosynthesis.Thisoxygenandsugaristhenusedtomakechemicalenergyneededforsurvival.Incontrast,consumersareorganismsthatcannotmaketheirownfood.Theseorganismsmustfindandconsumetheirfoodfromtheirsurroundingenvironment.Zooplanktonareexamplesofprimaryconsumersthateatphytoplanktonastheydriftthroughthewater.Afoodchaindiagramisavisualrepresentationoftheflowoffoodenergythroughanecosystem.Typicalfoodchainsstartwithaproducerandarecomposedofatleastthreetypesoforganisms.Forexample,whenzooplanktoneatphytoplankton,theenergyfromthephytoplanktongoesintothezooplankton.Likewise,whenyoungtrouteatzooplanktontheenergyfromthezooplanktonandthephytoplanktoncollectivelygoesintothejuveniletroutpopulation.Thisfoodenergyisfurtherpassedonwhenlargerorganismssuchasadulttrout,osprey,orbaldeagleseatthejuveniletrout.Itisimportanttorememberthateventhoughwesimplifyafoodchaindiagrambydepictingoneindividualorganism,inrealitythisorganismrepresentsapopulationofthatorganisminaspecificecosystem.Afoodwebissimplyacollectionofinterwovenfoodchainsthatrepresenttheflowofenergythroughoutthesystem.Itisimportanttoexplainthatthefoodchainsandwebinthislessonareasmallrepresentationofthelargerwebthatexistsinthenaturalenvironment.Sinceproducersarethebaseorfoundationtoeveryfoodchainwithinanecosystem,therearetypicallymoreproducersthanconsumersinanygivenhabitat.FreshwaterlakesinNorthwesternMontanaareoftenfilledwithavarietyofphytoplankton,periphyton(slimyalgaeonrocksorothersurfaces),submergedvegetation,emergentaquaticplants(i.e.waterlilies),andwetlandplantsthatborderthelake.Theseproducerssupportawidevarietyofanimallifeinandaroundthelake.Theanimalsinthelakeecosystemcaneitherbefoundinthelakeoraroundthelake.Forexample,therearemanydifferenttypesofwaterfowl(e.g.,ducks,geese)andraptors(e.g.,osprey,eagles,hawks)thatfindtheirfoodin,ontopof,ornearthelake.Aquaticinvasivespecies(AIS)arenon-nativespeciesthatmaycauseenvironmentaland/oreconomicharmtoanecosystem.Aquaticinvasivespeciescanoftencreatephysicaland/orbiologicaldisturbancesthathavedrasticimpactsupontheentireecosystem.SomeAIScancreateanecologicaldisturbancethatimpactsestablishedfoodchainswithinanecosystem.ThestoryofMysisrelicta,afreshwatershrimp,anditsimpactinFlatheadLakeisawell-documentedexample.

CommonLakeFoodChaininN.W.Montana

ZOOPLANKTONPrimaryConsumer

PHYTOPLANKTONPrimaryProducer

JUVENILETROUTSecondaryConsumer

ADULTTROUTTertiaryConsumer

OSPREYQuaternaryConsumer

FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

MysisshrimpwereintentionallyintroducedintolakesinNorthwestMontanawiththegoalofprovidingKokaneesalmonpopulationswithanewsourceoffood.TheseshrimpeventuallyfoundtheirwayintoFlatheadLake.Unfortunately,Kokaneearesightfeedersthathuntinthesurfacewatersofthelake;whereas,Mysisshrimphideinthedark,deepwatersduringthedayandonlycomeupatnighttofeedonzooplankton.Theseshrimpquicklybegantoeatthesmallerzooplankton(copepodsandDaphniasp.)thatwastheKokanee’sprimaryfoodsource.Inaddition,thenon-nativelaketroutfoundinFlatheadLakebegantoeattheshrimp,togetbigger,andtopreyupontheKokaneesalmon.Duetoadecreaseinfoodandanincreaseinpredators,theKokaneesalmonpopulationsimmediatelycollapsed.Subsequently,thebaldeaglepopulationsthatdependeduponthesefishasasourceoffoodalsodeclined.TheintroductionoftheshrimpcausedadramaticecologicaldisturbanceandalteredtheFlatheadLakefoodweb.Sinceinvasivezebraandquaggamusselseatthephytoplanktonatthebaseofouraquaticecosystems,theirintroductioncouldcauseamoredevastatingecologicaldisturbancethantheshrimp.PotentialFlatheadLakefoodwebinN.W.Montanaifzebramusselsareintroduced:

VocabularyCarnivore–Aconsumerthatonlyeatsotheranimals.Consumer–Anorganismthateatsorconsumesotherorganismstosurvive.Decomposer–Aconsumersuchasafungiorbacteriathatchemicallybreaksdownorganicmatter.Detritivore–Aconsumerthatorallyfeedsondetritus(deadordecomposingorganicmatter).Ecologicaldisturbance–Aneventintimethatdisruptsecosystem,community,orpopulationstructureandchangesresources,substrateavailability,orthephysicalenvironment.Ecosystem–Acommunityoforganismsandthenon-livingenvironmenttheyinhabit.FoodChain–Aseriesoforganismslinkedtogetherbythetransferoffoodenergyfromonepopulationoforganismstoanotherpopulationoforganisms.FoodWeb–Aseriesofinterlockingandindependentfoodchainsfoundinanecosystem.Herbivore–Aconsumerthatonlyeatsphotosyntheticplantsand/oralgae.Omnivore–Aconsumerthateatsbothplants/algaeandanimals.Producer–Anorganismthatcanuselightorchemicalenergytoproduceitsownfoodfrominorganic(non-living)substances(ex.plant,algae,orcyanobacteria)typicallyviaphotosynthesis.

Producers

Non-natives

NOTE:BesuretoexplainthatzebramusselsarenotcurrentlyfoundinFlatheadLake!

FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

Procedure¿ WarmUp(20min.)

• Turnontheprojector,displaytheFoodWebChallengeslideshow,andpassoutthestudentworksheets.• Drawthefollowingchartontheboard:• Slide#2:Conducta30-secondbrainstormandhavethestudentswritedownwhattheythinkallplantsneedtosurvive.Ask4-5studentstosharetheiranswersandposttheanswersinthechartontheboard.

• Slide#3:Conducta30-secondbrainstormandhavethestudentswritedownwhattheythinkallanimalsneedtosurvive.Ask4-5studentstosharetheiranswersandposttheanswersinthechartontheboard.o Reviewthatallplantsandanimalsneedwater,energy/food,oxygen,aspacetolive,andtheabilityto

respondtotheirenvironment.Whilethesunservesasacriticalsourceofenergyforplants,plantsthemselveshelptodirectlyorindirectlyfeedanimalsineachecosystem.

• Slide#4:Studentsrecordoneobservationtheyhaveabouttheecosystemontheirworksheet.Ask1-2studentstosharetheirobservationstotheclass.

• Slide#5:Askstudentstorecordthemostabundanttypeoforganismtheyseeintheecosystem(plants).• Slide#6:Studentsexaminethebiomassdiagramandidentify/recordthegroupoforganismsthathasthemostbiomassglobally(plants).

• Slide#7:Studentslookatthecalculatedpercentofbiomassforeachgroup.o Reviewthat82%ofallbiomassonEarthismadeupofplants,17%isbacteria/fungi/protists/archaea,

whicharemostlymicroscopic,and0.3%iscomposedofanimals.• Slide#8:StudentsrecordoneSPECIFICreasonwhytheythinkplantsarethemostabundant.o Plantsarethefoundationofallecosystemsandsoweneedmoreofthemtosupportalllife.

• Slides#9-14:Briefly,reviewthedifferencebetweenproducersandconsumers.TheorganismsontheseslidesareallfoundintheTundraecosystem.

• Slide#15:Reviewwhatafoodchainis.• Slide#16.Readthetopof“UnderstandingaFoodChain”worksheetandreviewtheprovidedchain.o Studentsthenwriteonemorefoodchain(fromanyhabitat)ontheirpaper.Askstudentstoshare.o Conducta30-secondbrainstormandhavethestudentslistallthewaysthefoodchainintheexample

couldbenegativelyimpactedordisrupted.o Answersmayvary:flood,introducedspecies,aquaticinvasivespecies,toomanynutrientstothelake

(ex.eutrophicationcausesalgalbloomsthataretheneatenbybacteriainthewater,whichleadstolowoxygenconditionsinthelake),drought,pollution,etc.

• Slide#18:Usetheprovidedtundrafoodwebtoreviewwhatafoodwebis.• Slides#19-20:ExplainwhatanecologicaldisturbanceisandhowMysisshrimpcausedalocaldisturbance.

¿ Activity(25min.)• Passouttheglue/tape,markers,andonefoodwebcardsettoeachgroup.Displaythefoodwebchallengedirections(slide#21)andexplainthattheyhave25minutestocompletethefoodwebchallenge.

• Studentsidentifytheproducersintheweb,buildthefoodchains,organizethechainstobuildthefoodweb,havetheinstructorcheckthewebbeforetheycanglueortapeitdown,andlastlydrawthearrowsmovingupthroughtheweb.Note–ifusinglaminatedcards,seerecommendedmodificationsonthenextpage.

¿ WrapUp(15min.)• Aftertheybuildandlabeltheweb,theymustlabelthezebramusselcardasanaquaticinvasivespecies.• Studentswriteaparagraph(orcreateavideo)thatexplainshowthisspeciescouldimpactthelakefoodwebandpossiblycauseanecologicaldisturbance.Studentsmustidentifytheorganismsthatwouldbedirectlyimpactedbypredationoralossoffood.

Plants Animals

FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

TeacherResourcesAssessmentOptionsHavestudents:• writeaparagraphorcreateavideoclipthatsummarizeshowthe

invasivemusselswouldimpactthelakefoodweb.• conductathinkaloudwithapartnertoexplainhowenergyflows

throughanecosystemandhowinvasivespeciescandisruptthefoodweb.

• conductresearchtolearnaboutadifferentaquaticorterrestrialhabitat,buildafoodwebforthathabitat,andidentifyaninvasivespeciesthatcouldpotentiallydisturbtheecosystem.

• designacauseandeffectposteraboutaspecificecologicaldisturbance.

Modifications• Ifthestudentshavealreadylearnedaboutfoodchains/webs,shorten

thewarmupactivitytoreviewtheconceptsasneeded.• Ifusingtheprovidedlaminatedcards,studentsmayarrangethemon

theposter,tracethecards,andwritetheorganismnamesintheboxes.Thiswillallowthecardstobeusedformultipleperiodsinoneday.

• Simplifythefoodwebbyremovingfoodchainsfromtheweb.• Enlargethefoodchaincardsandworksheetsasneeded.

ExtensionsStudentscan:• addinanotheraquaticinvasivespeciestothefoodwebactivityto

predicthowtheneworganismcouldimpactthefoodweb.• researchtraditionalNativeAmericanusesfororganismsfoundinthe

lakefoodwebandhowthosepracticeshavebeenimpactedbytheintroductionofnon-nativefishandotheraquaticinvasivespecies.

• createashortstoryfromtheperspectiveofanorganisminanecosystemthathasbeeninvadedbyanaquaticinvasivespecies.

BooksElton,C.S.(2000).TheEcologyofInvasionbyAnimalsandPlants(newed.).

Chicago,IL:UniversityofChicagoPress.Lockwood,J.L.,Hoopes,M.F.,&Marchetti,M.P.(2013).InvasionEcology

(2nded).WestSussex,UK:JohnWiley&Sons,Ltd.

OnlineResourcesMontanaFieldGuide:http://fieldguide.mt.gov/MontanaSciencePartnershipfoodwebandtrophiclevelswebsitecontainsinformationaboutaquaticmacroinvertebratesfoundinMontanastreams:http://www.sciencepartners.info/module-8-macroinvertebrates/insect-feeding-food-webs/food-webs-trophic-levels/

AcknowledgementsAllfoodwebimageswereillustratedbyHollyChurch.ManythankstoteachersfromBigfork,Somers,Polson,andWhitefishwhoprovidedfeedbackonthislesson.

Photocredit:MichaelPalmer(CCBY-SA4.0)

Adultmayfliesoftenemergeinlakesandstreamsduringthespringandfall.Theseaquaticinsectsserveasanimportantfoodsourcefornativefish.

Photocredit:GreatLakesEnvironmentalResearchLaboratory(publicdomain)

ZebraMusselsareanaquaticinvasivespeciesthatfilter-feedsonphytoplankton.Itcanattachtosurfaces,reproducequickly,andspreadthroughplanktoniclarvae.

Photocredit:HaraldOlsen(CCBY2.0)MysisrelictaisanaquaticinvasivespeciesthatwasintentionallyintroducedtosomelakesinMontana.

FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

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FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

Name WarmUp StudentWorksheet(1of2)Asyouviewtheprovidedpresentationanswerthefollowingquestions.30-secondbrainstorm…Whatdoallplantsneedtosurvive?30-secondbrainstorm…Whatdoallanimalsneedtosurvive?RecordONEobservationyouhaveabouttheNorthwestMontanaecosystem.Whatisthemostabundanttypeoforganismthatyouseeinthisecosystem? Examinethediagrambelow,whichgroupoforganismshastheMOSTbiomassworldwide?

GlobalPartitioningofBiomass

1gigaton(Gt)=1,000,000,000,000,000gramsor1015grams 1gram= Bar-Onetal.(2018),PNASWhydoyouthinkthatis?Provideonespecificreason.

FoodWebChallenge

©2019AISUnitcreatedbytheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandtheFlatheadLakers.FundedbytheMontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation,FLBS,andFlatheadLakers.

Name UnderstandingaFoodChain StudentWorksheet(2of2)

Afoodchaindiagramrepresentsthefoodenergythatflowsthroughanecosystem.Thesunprovidesenergyfortheproducers(plantsandalgae)tomaketheirownfoodthroughphotosynthesis.Theproducersarethebaseofthefoodchainandareeatenbymanyorganisms.Theproducersarecalledprimaryproducersbecausetheymaketheinitialsugarthattheentirefoodwebdependsupon.Aconsumerisanorganismthatcannotmakeitsownfood.Herbivoresareprimaryconsumersthateatplants.Omnivoresarebothprimaryconsumersthateatplantsandsecondaryconsumersthateatanimals.Carnivoresaretypicallysecondary,tertiary,orquaternaryconsumersthatonlyeatotheranimals.Belowisadiagramofafoodchainoftenfoundinthelakes,rivers,streams,andwetlandsinMontana.Noticethearrowsarepointedtotheanimalpopulationsthatareconsumingthefood.

BrainstormandwriteONEmorefoodchainbelow.Remember,allfoodchainsstartwithaproducerandusuallyhaveatleastTHREEtypesoforganisms. 30-secondbrainstorm…Listallofthewaysthefoodchainabovecouldbenegativelyimpactedordisrupted?

PERIPHYTONPrimaryProducer(Theslimygreenorbrownstuffonrocksinthelake)

TADPOLESNAILPrimaryConsumer COLUMBIAN

SPOTTEDFROG

SecondaryConsumer

GREATBLUEHERONTertiaryConsumer